Category: Improving
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Grey Out. Sage In. Most Popular Paint Colours of 2025.
There has always been a bit of grey in the world. Grey clouds. Grey Elephants. Birmingham. But all of a sudden, about ten years ago, grey started to appear in other places. On things like walls. And sofa throws. Fuelled by the queens of Instagram, grey began to spread as the nation’s favourite neutral. Footballers…
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Average House Price by Area (£ per Square Metre) in the UK
Once upon a time, valuing property was a secretive art. Only estate agents and mortgage companies could do it, as only they had the data. Nowadays, anyone can do it. You can use Rightmove’s property valuation tool, or Zoopla’s. But this really is half the story. The key is understanding house price per square metre*….
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Best Products to Babyproof and Toddlerproof Your Home
You’ve got a beautiful house. Full of things like furniture and carpets and kitchen units, some of which you’ve chosen and purchased at great cost. Well, that’s not how a toddler sees it. A toddler sees all of that and thinks: ‘can I hit it? Climb it? Leak onto it? Infiltrate it and drink the…
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Why are Building Costs So Expensive in the UK?
I spend a lot of time researching the cost of home improvements. Extensions, loft conversions, even simple jobs like building internal walls. And in recent years one thing has stood out. Costs have gone up. A lot. We all know this. Costs go up all the time. But actually the scale of the increase recently…
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Can You Take Solar Panels When You Move House in The UK?
Yes, you are allowed to take solar panels with you when moving house. But it’s not worth it. That is: it’s not worth it in the vast majority of cases. I’ve run through some of the calculations below. But first, let me explain why. Why should you not take solar panels when moving house? It…
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Do Heat Pumps Work in Cold or Freezing Weather?
The simple answer is: yes, heat pumps work in cold weather. That’s the whole point of a heating system. After all, they’re used commonly in Scandinavian countries, where winters are cold enough to freeze a moose. The UK is simple by comparison. However… there are some caveats. Heat pumps can struggle in the cold, even…
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Exactly How Much +1 Bedroom Adds to Airbnb Income in the UK
Adding a bedroom to a property is a canny (and very common) investment. Usually by converting a loft, a garage, or adding a whole new extension. It can add a lot of value to your house when it comes to sell. But what about other value? Namely: how much more can you charge on AirBnB…
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Why a Solar Battery Might Not Be Worth it in the UK
Solar panels aren’t perfect. They have a big, ugly flaw. Namely: they only work when the sun is shining. This is hardly their fault. After all, they do have ‘solar’ in the name. But it does present an obstacle to people who would really like to generate all their household electricity themselves, but who find…
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What is Artex, and What Should You Do About It?
Artex ceilings are everywhere. Of all the things we’ve inherited from the 1970s – disco, prawn cocktails, dysfunctional railway administration – Artex might be the most enduring. Across the UK, you’ll find Artex, clinging to the ceilings like Gollum. Happy. Undisturbed. But now, as another generation (i.e. my one) has started to buy houses, we’ve been…
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Where to Get Solar Panels on Finance in the UK
If you’re looking to get solar panels, one thing won’t have escaped you. They are expensive. Roughly £8,000 on average (see the details on my post here). The thing is, they save you money too. So you could either wait and save up, paying those greedy energy companies as you do. Or… Can you get…
